There seem to be a lot of words and phrases that we use every day that make no sense. For instance the phrase “Common Sense.” There is nothing common about it. In fact, good sense seems to be fairly rare. One might even say it is uncommon. Some people with whom I come in contact, either personally or through some electronic source, exhibit a total lack of sense. Some of the things they say or do are totally senseless.

Here’s another one – “Customer Service.” When is the last time you called or e-mailed a customer service person and felt like you were actually receiving service? Most of the time I feel like the person is pissed off, because I have the audacity to question the events, or lack thereof, that have led to my contacting them. Or maybe they just feel that way because they really don’t enjoy helping people and wish they had a different job.

How about “Work Zone?” This is that area on the road that is under construction or repair, and there seems to be an abundance of these where we live. There is a reduction in the speed limit, with a sign that says “Fines Double When Workers are Present.” The traffic is backed up for miles, because what used to be four lanes is now two lanes. There are a lot of men standing around in glow-in-the-dark vests, orange cones blocking lanes and a lot of heavy equipment sitting idle, but there is little or no work being done. Maybe one guy is shoveling some dirt, while five others are watching. Wow! Maybe they will get this finished in my lifetime. I hope so.

And then there is the phrase “Foreign Language.” Those of us who speak English, believe that everyone should speak our language. We travel to all parts of the world expecting to be able to converse freely with the “natives.” When they don’t understand what we are saying, we label them as stupid and illiterate. What we fail to realize is that their language is not “foreign” to them. So maybe we should refer to their language as “That Language That I Am Not Smart Enough To Learn.”

USPS – United States Postal Service. Here’s that word “service” again. Do you remember when mail was actually delivered to your house? I suppose that may still happen in some neighborhoods, but not many. Now, mail is put in small boxes in some central location in the neighborhood, where an individual has to stop by on their way home, or walk down the block to retrieve their mail. Don’t get me wrong, I believe all of us could probably benefit from a bit more exercise, including the postal worker, but service is a questionable term. And don’t get me started on what happens inside the post office.

Now, as much as I hate to, we get to politics. The phrase here is “Bi-Partisan Vote.” This is a concept that is promised by many politicians, but participated in by few. What usually gets labeled as bi-partisan, is some grudging, all-strings-attached compromise, that barely resembles the original intent.

Every year many Americans watch the “World Series.” Really?!! The only team eligible for participation that is not from the United States, is the Toronto Blue Jays. (They actually won the series twice.) This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a “world” series. But who am I to question the great American pastime?

“Happy Birthday.” Seriously? Who is happy to have another birthday, proclaiming that they are another year older? I know the alternative should make us all happy that we are still alive, but the fact remains that yet another year has passed in our lives. Luckily we don’t remember the original birthday. I am sure that was not a happy day. To leave the warmth and comfort of your mother’s womb, struggle through a very tight opening into a cold harsh world, where some person in a white gown swats you on the ass. That was not a happy event.

“Last Word.” I am not talking about ending a conversation/argument on your own terms, although that last word is also very difficult to come by. If you are a fellow blogger, you will understand. For those of you who do not blog, let me explain. Blogging is an addiction. No sooner do I finish the current post, than I am already thinking about what to post next time. There is no last word. However,since you have taken the time to read this post, my last word for today is THANKS!

7 Responses to Common Sense and Other Misnomers

Enjoyed this blog again Troy.
Have to make a comment here on the mail. Our mailman insists on putting parcels in the box that fit so tightly I have had to ask a neighbor to help me pull them out when he saw me struggling with both hands. Nearly pulled the mail box over getting the last one out. The mailman obviously doesn’t want to walk up the few steps to the front door to deliver them. Another UPS man walked across the muddy lawn and messed up the steps we had just painted the week before rather than walk up the path probably 6 paces more.